Gas pilot light



Feb. 7, 1967 E GJERDE 3 302,6$7

GAS PILOT LIGHT Filed Sept. 13, 1965 5 INVENTOR.

ERWN C5. GUERDE United States Patent 3,302,687 GAS PILOT LIGHT Erwin G. Gjerde, Whittier, Califi, assignor to Hydro Combustion Corporation, Santa Fe Springs, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Sept. 13, 1965, Ser. No. 486,603 3 Claims. (Cl. 158-115) The present invention relates generally to burners for firing industrial and domestic heating equipment and more particularly to a new and novel gas pilot light.

It is a major object of the present invention to provide a gas pilot light that is particularly adapted for use in a high velocity air stream. This object is obtained by so forming said pilot light that a reduced pressure area is created by the air stream as it flows through the pilot light.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a gas pilot light of the aforedescribed nature which will provide foolproof operation.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a gas pilot light which is simple in design and rugged of construction so as to provide a long and troublefree service life and that may be manufactured economically.

A more particular object of the present invention is to provide a gas pilot light which will quickly and efficiently ignite an elongated burner formed along its length with gas jets. This object is achieved by forming such pilot light with oppositely curved baflle arms that divides the flame into a pair of oppositely directed portions.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detained description, when taken in conjunction with the appended drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing a preferred form of gas pilot light embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view in enlarged scale of said pilot light;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a generally vertical sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a bottom view of said pilot light.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly FIGURE 1 thereof, a preferred form of gas pilot light P embodying the present invention is shown connected to a vertical gas inlet pipe 10. The pilot light P is adapted to provide a bifurcated flame 12 and 12a that is directed outwardly from either side of the pilot light so as to ignite a horizontal elongated burner (not shown) formed along its length with gas jet openings. The pilot light P is particularly adapted for use in a high velocity air stream, with the direction of flow of such air stream being indicated by the arrows designated 14 in this figure. A conventional flame rod 15 is shown disposed alongside pilot light F.

More particularly, the pilot light P includes a rigid body, generally designated 16, having a first pair of upstanding, opposed side walls 18 and 20 that are connected at their lower ends by a horizontal bot-tom wall 22. The lower surface of the bottom wall 22 faces upstream towards the air stream. The midportion of the bottom wall 22 is centrally formed with a gas orifice 24. A second pair of upstanding side walls 26 and 28 extend between the first pair of side walls 18 and 20 at right angles thereto. The lower ends of the second pair of side walls 26 and 28 are spaced upwardly of the front end of the first pair of side walls 18 and 20 so as to define a pair of side-opening air-receiving inlets 30 and 32, respectively.

The upper ends of the second pair of sidewalls 26 and 28 are turned inwardly over the upper portion of the first pair of side walls 18 and 20 so as to define a pair of horizontal lips 34 and 35, the space between said lips being open. The lower end of the second pair'of side walls 26 and 28 are turned inwardly to define a pair of legs 38 and 39. v

A horizontal bar 42 extends rigidly between the lower portion of the second pair of side walls 26 and 28 a short distance upwardly of the inturned lower ends thereof, such bar being centered between side walls 18 and 20.

A baflle plate 46 is centrally arranged between side walls 26 and 28 above bar 42. The baffle 46 extends across the width of side walls 18 and 20 in vertical relationship therewith, with the upper portion of the baffle plate being bifurcated. Such upper portion comprises a pair-of upwardly and oppositely outwardly extending vanes 48 and 50 which form an integral upward continuation of the lower vertical portion 51 of baffle plate 46.

The flame rod 15 is seen so be bent over the intermedate portion of one of the vanes 48 for a purpose to be set forth hereinafter.

Gas enters the lower end of the pilot light P through an internally threaded tubular fitting 50 that is connected to inlet pipe 10. The upper end of the tubular fitting 5G is rigidly aflixed to the underside of the body bottom wall 22 as by welding. An orifice disc 52 is interposed between the upper end of the gas inlet fitting 50 and the underside of the bottom wall 22. This disc 52 is centrally formed with a gas orifice 54 that, is aligned with the gas-receiving orifice 24 of bottom wall 22.

In the operation of the aforedescribed gas pilot light, gas under pressure is forced into the gas inlet 50, as indicated 'by the directional arrows 56 in FIGURES l, 3 and 4. Concurrently, a high-velocity air stream enters the inlets 30 and 32 so as to flow into and through the legs 38 and 39. The legs 38 and 39 cooperate with shelves 36 and 37 to create a venturi effect within the upper portion 58 of the body 16. Such upper body portion 58 constitutes an ignition chamber. The resulting pressure drop is enhanced by the lips 34 and 35 as the air stream flows upwardly through the body 13. The gas 56 is mixed with the upwardly-moving air and aeration of the gas in ignition chamber 58 is aided by the turbulence-creating bar 42. The mixture of gas and air is caused to ignite in a conventional manner so as to provide the bifurcated flame 12 and 12a shown in FIGURE 1. It should be particularly noted that the vanes 48 and 50 of the baflle 46 direct the flames 12 and 12a horizontally or normal to the direction of flow of the gas and air. These flames 12 and 12a will serve to ignite a horizontally extending burner (not shown) that extends outwardly to either side of the pilot light P. The flames 12 and 12a will be maintained despite the existence of the high velocity air stream because of the negative pressure condition created within the ignition chamber 58 of the body 16.

The flame rod 15 cooperates with electric circuitry (not shown) in a conventional manner to control the flow of gas through the gas inlet 1G, a small amount of electric current being generated between the flame rod 15 and the baflle arm 48 during the time a flame encompasses these members. Baflle arm 48 therefor serves both to divert flame from ignition chamber 58 outwardly of the pilot light body 16 and to act as an electric ground relative to flame rod 15.

Although the pilot light P has been shown and described herein as extending vertically, it may in fact be positioned at any desired angle as necessitated by the arrangement of the burner 'with which it is employed.

While there has been shown and described herein J what is presently considered to be a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be ap arent that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A pilot light especially adapted for use in a high velocity air stream, comprising:

a body having a first pair of opposed vertical side walls connected at their lower ends by a horizontal bottom wall, the underside of said bottom wall facing said air stream, said body also having a second pair of vertical side walls connecting said first side walls, the lower ends of said second side walls being spaced upwardly from the lower end of said first side walls to define a pair of air inlets exposed to said air stream, with the upper end of said second side walls being bent inwardly over the upper end of said first side walls to define a pair of opposed lips, the space between said lips being open, and the lower end of said second side walls being turned horizontally inwardly to define a pair of shelves and then downwardly and outwardly to define a pair of legs, with the space between the side walls above said shelves comprising an ignition chamber;

gas inlet means on said lower wall including an orifice aligned with the center of said ignition chamber whereby air from said air stream and gas from said orifice will mix within said ignition chamber, said air stream coopenating with said legs and shelves to create a venturi efiect within said ignition chamber, whereby a reduced pressure is provided within said ignition chamber;

and bafiie means in said ignition chamber that includes a pair of upwardly and oppositely outwardly directed bafile arms that direct fiame from said ignition chamber in opposite directions generally normal to the direction of said air stream.

2. A pilot light as set forth in claim 1 wherein a turbulence-creating bar extends horizontally across the lower portion of said ignition chamber.

3. A pilot light as set forth in claim 1 that includes a flame rod having its upper portion adjacent one of said baffie arms whereby the latter acts as an electric ground relative thereto.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,282,551 5/1942 Yates 15899 X 2,741,302 4/1956 Kile 158-115 2,959,216 11/1960 Alger 158113 3,146,823 9/1964 Loveland l581 13 X JAMES W. WESTHAVER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A PILOT LIGHT ESPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR USE IN A HIGH VELOCITY AIR STREAM, COMPRISING: A BODY HAVING A FIRST PAIR OF OPPOSED VERTICAL SIDE WALLS CONNECTED AT THEIR LOWER ENDS BY A HORIZONTAL BOTTOM WALL, THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID BOTTOM WALL FACING SAID AIR STREAM, SAID BODY ALSO HAVING A SECOND PAIR OF VERTICAL SIDE WALLS CONNECTING SAID FIRST SIDE WALLS, THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID SECOND SIDE WALLS BEING SPACED UPWARDLY FROM THE LOWER END OF SAID FIRST SIDE WALLS TO DEFINE A PAIR OF AIR INLETS EXPOSED TO SAID AIR STREAM, WITH THE UPPER END OF SAID SECOND SIDE WALLS BEING BENT INWARDLY OVER THE UPPER END OF SAID FIRST SIDE WALLS TO DEFINE A PAIR OF OPPOSED LIPS, THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID LIPS BEING OPEN, AND THE LOWER END OF SAID SECOND SIDE WALLS BEING TURNED HORIZONTALLY INWARDLY TO DEFINE A PAIR OF SHELVES AND THEN DOWNWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY TO DEFINE A PAIR OF LEGS, WITH THE SPACE BETWEEN THE SIDE WALLS ABOVE SAID SHELVES COMPRISING AN IGNITION CHAMBER; 